[SOLVED] Salix won't boot anymore

[TheGatorade]

Hi everyone

I have Salix13.37 installed on /dev/sda5 and this is the first time it doesn't boot.
I have grub as bootloader: It came with backtrack5. (I'm using it at the moment to write this!)

When i turn the PC on I choose Linux in the GRUB menu, then the screen turns black and the caps lock LED begins blinking/flashing.
Nothing happens then. I tried supergrub2 disk, and I got kernel panic.
Tried also grib-install and grub-setup, in backtrack.
SuperGrub2 detects two kernels, generic and huge-smp.
Both give kernel panic, also in single-user mode. Grub instead only gives option "Linux" and it doesn't start.

Someone knows what causes this and/or how to fix it? Thanks

EDIT: I have no USB, CD or floppy disks plugged/inserted now.

[gapan]

Sounds like hardware problems. Your CPU may be overheating, a fan may have failed, or even the motherboard could be busted. Or maybe your hard drive has failed. Try booting from a live CD. If that works, it's probably your hard drive. If it doesn't you'll need to dig deeper.

All that, assuming you didn't do anything to break the system yourself. Like removing the kernel for example.

[TheGatorade]

Sounds like hardware problems. Your CPU may be overheating, a fan may have failed, or even the motherboard could be busted. Or maybe your hard drive has failed. Try booting from a live CD. If that works, it's probably your hard drive. If it doesn't you'll need to dig deeper.

All that, assuming you didn't do anything to break the system yourself. Like removing the kernel for example.

>Writing using BackTrack now, same PC, other partition

I had some problems with vboxdrv, I don't know what, there is probably a problem with the kernel.

[Shador]

No, there's probably no such problem if it directly happens after selecting Salix in your bootloader. Can you post your menu.lst?

[TheGatorade]

No, there's probably no such problem if it directly happens after selecting Salix in your bootloader. Can you post your menu.lst?

grub.cfg here.

Code: Select all

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by /usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
  load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ ${prev_saved_entry} ]; then
  set saved_entry=${prev_saved_entry}
  save_env saved_entry
  set prev_saved_entry=
  save_env prev_saved_entry
  set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
  if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then
    saved_entry=${chosen}
    save_env saved_entry
  fi
}

function recordfail {
  set recordfail=1
  if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,8)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 9754c603-a070-4ef4-95e4-8a2791371a5c
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
  set gfxmode=1024x768
  set gfxpayload=keep
  insmod gfxterm
  insmod vbe
  if terminal_output gfxterm ; then true ; else
    # For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
    # understand terminal_output
    terminal gfxterm
  fi
fi
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,8)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 9754c603-a070-4ef4-95e4-8a2791371a5c
set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/locale
set lang=it
insmod gettext
if [ ${recordfail} = 1 ]; then
  set timeout=-1
else
  set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Linux (on /dev/sda5)" {
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,5)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 684b0e73-8dc4-40a3-b138-81190a2453c1
	linux /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda5 ro quiet  vt.default_utf8=1 vga = 794
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 3.2.6' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
	recordfail
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,8)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 9754c603-a070-4ef4-95e4-8a2791371a5c
	linux	/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.6 root=UUID=9754c603-a070-4ef4-95e4-8a2791371a5c ro   text splash vga=791
	initrd	/boot/initrd.img-3.2.6
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 3.2.6 (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
	recordfail
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,8)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 9754c603-a070-4ef4-95e4-8a2791371a5c
	echo	'Loading Linux 3.2.6 ...'
	linux	/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.6 root=UUID=9754c603-a070-4ef4-95e4-8a2791371a5c ro single 
	echo	'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
	initrd	/boot/initrd.img-3.2.6
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,8)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 9754c603-a070-4ef4-95e4-8a2791371a5c
	linux16	/boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,8)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 9754c603-a070-4ef4-95e4-8a2791371a5c
	linux16	/boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries.  Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment.  Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

This is my fdisk -l

Code: Select all

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x8df82cc3

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1          39      307200    7  HPFS/NTFS
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda2              39       19458   155980801    5  Extended
/dev/sda5              39       13311   106605568   83  Linux
/dev/sda6           14616       15139     4195328   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda7           15139       19458    34691072   83  Linux

Salix is installed in /dev/sda5.
Backtrack is installed in /dev/sda7.

[Shador]

I think you've been hit by a fixed bug in os-prober, I once read about. When it says "set root='(hd0,5)'", it should actually say "set root='(hd0,6)'". Notice how it's sda7 and hd0,8

[TheGatorade]

I think you've been hit by a fixed bug in os-prober, I once read about. When it says "set root='(hd0,5)'", it should actually say "set root='(hd0,6)'". Notice how it's sda7 and hd0,8

Tried that, also tried (hd0,4) but it does the same thing as before.


In't there a way to install Salix - again - on the same partition, without formatting?
Pretty stupid question, I think.

[Shador]

It is possible but it creates a terrible mess and is a very, ver bad idea. Probably your package database would get reset beyond being useful.

The problem is that from your information, I can't tell what exactly fails. Can you give a description what you see from the moment you select Linux in grub2? Did you possibly install a 64 bit kernel on 32 bit system? Could you upload the results of boot-info-script? What did that kernel panic say? (I guess it was unrelated and caused by bad parameters, ...)

If you suppose you messed up some package data, I posted somewhere in the wiki two scripts: install-missing-deps and reinstall-everything (if you have no clue which packages are affected or (almost) all are). Reinstalling all kernel packages could be an idea too.

In case you can't boot into Salix you can mount the salix root from another system and chroot into it.

[TheGatorade]

It is possible but it creates a terrible mess and is a very, ver bad idea. Probably your package database would get reset beyond being useful.

The problem is that from your information, I can't tell what exactly fails. Can you give a description what you see from the moment you select Linux in grub2? Did you possibly install a 64 bit kernel on 32 bit system? Could you upload the results of boot-info-script? What did that kernel panic say? (I guess it was unrelated and caused by bad parameters, ...)

If you suppose you messed up some package data, I posted somewhere in the wiki two scripts: install-missing-deps and reinstall-everything (if you have no clue which packages are affected or (almost) all are). Reinstalling all kernel packages could be an idea too.

In case you can't boot into Salix you can mount the salix root from another system and chroot into it.

Salix used to work. It started having problems about 3 days ago.
I have a 32bit machine and 32bit kernel.
I only see a black screen, and my caps lock led blinks.
I can't boot into Salix, will try chroot.

[TheGatorade]

Ok, so, I used your install-missing-deps script, with chroot /media/disk, it downloaded + installed 5 packages.
Salix didn't boot. Same thing as before. will try reinstall everything...

Edit: I have a very slow internet connection. About 300kbps.
I think reinstalling all would just give troubles.

These are my BootInfoScript results.
http://www.fileden.com/files/2012/3/17/ ... ESULTS.txt